


Heart Tree

by tigereyes45



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:34:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22027150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tigereyes45/pseuds/tigereyes45
Summary: After the war Sansa stops by a place she knows all too well.
Relationships: Sansa Stark/Margaery Tyrell
Comments: 4
Kudos: 36





	Heart Tree

**Author's Note:**

> This was a gift for noboopforyou on tumblr for the secret santa event.

Sansa yawns deeply as she slowly awakes under the single heart tree within the Red Keep’s godswood. The familiar smell of dragon’s breath fills her nose. She pushes herself against the tree with her legs. As she raises a hand against the rough smokeberry vines covering the tree, a laugh fills her ears. Surprise pushes Sansa to stands up even faster. Her foot catches on a root in her rush. Reaching for anything her hands catch on the vines against the rough white bark as a pair of hands brace themselves against her back.

“Sorry, Lady Sansa. I did not mean to startle you.”

Sansa quickly pulls her hands off of the rough vines. They scratch her hands as she puts space between herself, the heart tree, and Margaery. The spots where her palms had been just moments ago still burn with heat through her dress. Sansa wills her face to not show the blush she felt furiously sprouting up like a rosebud who’s thorns would not give. The space wasn’t enough to free Sansa from the hold of her brown eyes. They bore themselves so deep into her that the eldest Stark daughter has to look up.

Margaery was smiling at her. In her perfect nothing could sully the day way of smiling. Sansa was flustered but a little bit of happiness keeps her still.

“I was worried I had interrupted you praying when I first came upon you. It took me a whole minute before I realized you were sleeping Sansa. I must admit I sat down on a bench nearby and distracted myself with letters as you rested.” As she finally glances past Margaery Sansa could see a few flatten pieces of parchment head down by rocks and a jar of fresh ink on a bench right across from the tree.

“I’m sorry. It is very rude of me to be sleepy here in this wholly place of worship.”

“Well I won’t tell if you won’t.” Margaery rests a hand against the heart tree as her head turns to stare at it. “It must be hard having only one tree to come too when your home must have had so many.”

“It did. My siblings and I would play in them. They more often than I.”

“We have a group of three weirwoods at Highgarden.”

Sansa ears prick up at her words. It was still surprising to hear that anything common in the North could still be found in the south naturally.

“I wasn’t aware.”

“It’s not something that is commonly shared.” Margaery steps away from the tree with silent grace. Somehow she seems at home where she went. Sansa wonders if it comes from being raised in the South, or if Margaery could just go anywhere and find her place. It was probably just natural for her. As natural as dealing with Jeoffrey had been.

“I want you to see them someday Sansa.”

“It would be hard-pressed to convince the Lannisters to let me leave.”

“Tyrion is not a completely unreasonable man.”

“It is not Tyrion I worry about Lady Margaery.”

Her head dips down, as if a sudden gem on the ground had captured her attention. Her soft brown hair barely hides her eyes from Sansa’s view. Taking a few steps forward Sansa rubs her hands together as she searches for the words.

“Thank you for the offer. I would still love to see Highgarden one day.”

Margaery grabs Sansa’s hands and smiles. The warmth from her touch was enough to pull her own smile out. “You will see it one day Sansa. I’ll take you myself.”

There was no way her blush wasn’t clear as day anymore. Sansa smiles through it and hopes Margaery doesn’t notice. “I would like that very much Margaery.”

  
  


Ash and snow rain down upon Sansa as she stands beneath the almost intact heart tree. A few of its ancient branches were broken off the top during the attack on Kingslanding but it still stood. Its roots hold the tree up like a battered veteran’s sword keeps them in the fight. The red dragon’s breath stands out against the grey and white just as much as it ever did in the green of summer.

The silence of the city was eery. Even now in a place, she used to escape to for peace and quiet. The knowledge that it was all gone never leaves her. Just like their ghosts haven’t since her return. They accompany each other, hand in hand, the knowledge, and the ghosts. Cersei was dead, and for that Sansa was glad. The lioness had taken so much away from her. Her childhood, peace of mind, and her silent love. Rumors claim she died defending her brother before the court fo the seven. That it was in the sept where they perished together.

She had gone to see it for herself. The charred remains were old compared to the rest of the city. So charred that she was able to easily tear a broken figure of the maiden free from the destroyed building. Sansa holds the statue firm within her hand as her eyes study the trunk of the tree. Her free hand traces over the bark as she studies the slowly clearing tree. When she finds it a spark of heat flares up from the heart tree. The vision of her ghost standing there, smiling at Sansa with a warmth no one else had ever offered her in King’s landing.

She holds her hand on top of the ghosts and where the end of their fingertips reached she carves into the heart tree. The broken maiden statue splinters more then the wood it was carving. It was strong enough to get the job done. The flurry of ashes that rise up to cover her face wasn’t even to distract Sansa from her task. Violently, with dedication she carves Margaery Tyrell’s initials into the tree above her own. Remembering the way she and Jeyne used to daydream about their future loves and the hearts they would leave in scrawled on the back of the parchments they were given.

Sansa slows down when she gets to that part. She makes sure to get the heart in as clean as possible. It took her longer, and the maiden statue was no more than a pair of legs in her hand by the end, but it was worth it. She takes a step back to admire her handiwork. Margaery’s hand was still there, just almost touching the edge of the heart. Had she ever touched Margaery’s? Sansa collapses against the base of the tree. Her legs kick away the remaining pieces of the statue as her head leans against the tree, covering her face with the sleeves of her dress. Quietly she fights back the sobs that did their best to rack her body. There was no stopping them completely as Sansa is slowly covered by a blanket of snow and ash.

One day, when she’s ready she would go to see Highgarden. One day when the memory of her love wasn’t still so fresh.


End file.
